Pillars of Freedom by Rod Chase
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Tell Me MoreRod Chase is one of the most well-known photo-realist painters today. This outstanding work pays tribute to one of our nation's Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson. This magnificent image showcases the Jefferson Memorial during the peak of the world-famous cherry blossoms. Several lush trees captivate the scene with their splendid branches of ripe blossoms cascading over the Tidal Basin, almost touching the tranquil water. The Jefferson Memorial takes on a ethereal quality as the mass of gray clouds surround the building, almost blending with the stately architecture of the memorial to the great man. Enchancing this elegant, quiet scene, the pathway lights and the building's columns reflect in the water to complete this amazing image. The annual blooming of the cherry trees has come to represent the beauty of our nation's capital. The famous trees have become Washington D. C.'s rite of Spring with an explosion of pink around the Tidal Basin. Thousands of people from around the world visit the city to witness the colorful spectacle anticipating the beautiful trees will be in breathtaking bloom for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Thomas Jefferson would be pleased with this wonderful gift from Japan in 1912. As an avid horticulturist, Jefferson once said, "No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden." DF About The ArtistAs one of today’s finest and most recognized photorealist painters, Rod Chase has earned the highest respect of his peers and the admiration of legions of collectors. Each painting from the artist’s easel is a masterpiece created from extensive research and numerous photographs of each of his subjects. This technique, along with the aid of historical photographs, results in a timeless quality in each of Chase’s works. In his quest for mystique, accuracy, and a true sense of history, Chase does extensive research. His travels have led him from New York and Washington, D.C. to Colorado and California and finally to Italy in a never-ending search to obtain materials and photography for new paintings. The talented artist says, "Being a photorealist, I am dependent on finding accurate reference material for each painting.” Chase works with acrylics on canvas, spending hundreds of hours on each painting with the ultimate goal of presenting a fresh, unique, and elegant approach to familiar subjects. The detail in each painting is remarkable, but the mood each is equally impressive. Chase is acknowledged as a master of breathtaking scenes depicting our country’s natural and historical treasures. He has painted images of such famous landmarks as The White House, the Capitol, and the Supreme Court building to name a few. As a naturalized citizen, he felt honored as well as professionally challenged to paint these subjects. Chase also paints magnificent foreign landscapes. His travels in Italy inspired him to paint St. Peter’s Basilica and the romantic canals of Venice. The artist’s outstanding talent in his use of light is evident in "The Glory of San Pietro” and "The Mists of Morning.” Without traveling to these world-famous locales, the viewer is able to feel as if the scene is unfolding before them in person. Rising early to photograph the dramatic light of sunrise or awaiting the soft, moody glow of sunset, Chase captures the emotion and direction in which he will paint his subject. The artist will continue to create elegant, awe-inspiring scenes by combining antique and modern photographs with just the right touch of artistic license. Rod Chase is represented by Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art in San Antonio, Texas. He is published exclusively by Somerset Fine Art. Chase, a native of Canada, and his wife live with their five children in the Texas Hill Country. In 1999, he became a United States citizen. View Related SubjectsMore Info |
